Can there be a philosophy of archaeology? : processual archaeology and the philosophy of science / William Harvey Krieger.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Krieger, William Harvey, 1969-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeology--Philosophy.

Archaeology.

Processual archaeology.

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Logical positivism.

Archaeology--History--20th century.

History.

Physical Description:

x, 145 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, MD : Lexington Books, [2006]

Summary:

Can There Be a Philosophy of Archaeology? provides a historical and philosophical analysis of the rise and fall of the philosophical movement known as logical positivism, focusing on the effect of that movement on the budding science of archaeology. Significant problems resulted from the grafting of logical positivism onto what became known as processual archaeology or new archaeology. As a result of this failure, archaeologists distanced themselves from philosophers of science, believing that archaeology would be best served by a return to the dirt. By means of a thorough analysis of the real reasons for failures of logical empiricism and the new archaeology, as well as a series of archaeological case studies, William Harvey Krieger shows the need for the resumption of dialogue and collaboration between the two groups. In an age where philosophers of science are just beginning to look beyond the standard examples of scientific practice, this book demonstrates that archaeological science can hold its own with other sciences. This work will be of interest to archaeologists and philosophers of science alike.

Contents:

1 Logical Positivism and Scientific Explanation 5

In the Beginning: Explanation and the Vienna Circle 5

The Nature of Hempelian Explanation 14

Explanation and the Social Sciences 21

2 The New Archaeology 31

The Origins of New Archaeology 33

Archaeology: The Need for Change 37

The Aims, Features, and Methods of New Archaeology 39

3 The New Archaeology's New Archaeologists 47

Introducing the New Archaeologists 47

The New Archaeology in Practice: Problems and Issues 62

Philosophical Accounts of Archaeological Explanation 66

4 Philosophy and Archaeology: Post-Positivism 69

What the New Archaeology Could and Could Not Do 69

Laws and the Philosophy of Science 74

Disunified Science and the Future of Archaeology 95

5 Philosophical Problems: Archaeological Responses 99

What Can Archaeology Do for Philosophers of Science? 99

Realism, Antirealism, and Archaeological Entities 99

Science, Values, and Archaeology 110

A Call for Re-evaluation 118

6 Future Studies: Archaeological Explanation and the Philosophy of Science 121

Where Do We Go From Here? 121

Theory, Geography, and the (Dis)unity of Science 121

Moving Forward 129.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [133]-142) and index.

ISBN:

073911249X

OCLC:

69423134

Publisher Number:

9780739112496